


Disillusioned

by lcdsra



Series: LCDSRA's A-Z Soulmate Prompts [4]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:06:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26606464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lcdsra/pseuds/lcdsra
Summary: /ˌdisəˈlo͞oZHənd/adjective1. disappointed in someone or something that one discovers to be less good than one had believed.Or: Sometimes time doesn’t heal all wounds.
Relationships: Rhea/Skathi
Series: LCDSRA's A-Z Soulmate Prompts [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1935553





	Disillusioned

**Author's Note:**

> AU: The last sentence that your soulmate speaks to you is written somewhere on your body.
> 
> Character(s): Skathi, Rhea, Calypso (Rivera)  
> Relationship(s): Rhea/Skathi  
> Warning(s): Major character death

Skathi never spent much thought on the sentence that encircled her wrist.

The universe was cruel and unkind, and it showed on every single person’s skin. The last sentence a person’s soulmate said to them was inked onto them at birth. While seemingly innocuous, Skathi saw its underlying ramifications.

It was cruel to only allow people to know who their soulmate was when it was too late. A person could live their whole life with their soulmate and never know. On the flip side, one could never meet their soulmate and never know either.

What kind of merciful God did that? Though being raised religious, she never subscribed to any beliefs. Her mother looked at her disapprovingly whenever she asked about the mark. About why a God would let his children suffer and wallow in confusion and uncertainty and potentially with the wrong person.

Skathi wondered, later, if her mother disliked her asking because she asked herself that, or if she was religious _because_ of those questions.

Her mother never seemed to have room in her heart for Skathi, but that was okay. Her name, if anything, was telling about what kind of child she wanted.

She was certainly not close to her father, either, make no mistake. He never hit her, thank the Lord, but he was quick to anger and hard to please.

Skathi learned to keep her head down. But that never meant she wanted to look at her mark.

It said _I’ll see you tonight, yeah?_

So _innocent_ , so casual. Any number of people could say that to her for many reasons, she would never have even the slightest idea if she just said goodbye to her soulmate or to another person looking for their other half.

But, like everything else in her childhood, she ignored it and told herself that it didn’t matter if she never knew who her soulmate was.

Until she met her.

Because Skathi’s soulmate was a _her_ , and _she_ was beautiful.

: : :

They got together when they were both 18 and about to graduate high school. They started as friends, but Rhea was different, and she smiled like the sun and frowned like a storm, and her laugh sounded like wind chimes.

Skathi didn’t care about soulmates, suddenly. It didn’t matter that she’d never know if Rhea was her soulmate until the end, she’d savor every moment they had together.

: : :

Rhea had a scheduled flight for whoever, at a God awful time. Skathi woke up from her shuffling and was only coherent enough to watch her pack up.

Rhea whispered, “I’ll see you tonight, yeah?”

And Skathi had murmured, “Be safe, my dear.”

And promptly fell back asleep.

If only.

: : :

Skathi was sitting at her desk at work, entirely focused on her computer, when her boss, Calypso Rivera, knocked lightly on her cubical wall. A few people glanced up, Skathi included, but Calypso only gestured to her.

“Yes, Commander Rivera?”

Calypso didn’t respond immediately. She silently gestured for her to follow and began walking out of the office. Skathi frowned slightly, trying to keep pace. The younger woman was close to sprinting by the time she caught up. “Skathi, listen to what I have to say.”

“I am. I will.”

“Rhea got into an accident.”

“ _What?_ ”

Calypso stopped suddenly. Skathi nearly crashed into her, but her boss held out a hand against the wall, catching her. “She’s in surgery now. But,” Calypso let out a sigh. “They’re not hopeful. I’ll cover your work for today.” Rivera stared at her for a second. “If you need…” she paused, “something, anything, I am here for you.” With those final parting words, she left Skathi alone in the hallway.

“Wait, Calypso,” her boss paused, “which hospital?”

“Hospital 2, emergency room.”

Skathi nodded her thanks and ran.

: : :

She was too late. By the time she managed to get to the hospital, the staff just shook their head. She didn’t even get to say goodbye.

: : :

There was so much about dying that Skathi didn’t know about. Wills, possessions, how to tell people who never liked her but liked Rhea about it.

She just didn’t know, and sometimes she’d sit in their (her, she had to remind herself) room and stare at the papers that she had to fill out.

Rhea knew her job was dangerous and unpredictable, so she already had a will, but all of her things were hers by marriage, so the will didn’t really matter, but it did because sometimes Rhea asked for something little, like her collection of coins, to be sent to her cousin because he was just getting into them and would have loved to get them and it was too much, and it hurt.

Skathi didn’t realize she was crying crying until the tears didn’t stop with some sniffling and angrily wiping her eyes. Skathi’s breathe caught in her throat, and she tried to clear it, but it came out as a choked cry for help.

Ugly, gross tears slid from her eyes and fell into her hair and clothes, and she had to shove the blanket over her mouth to muffle her sobs. Because Rhea was dead and she wasn’t coming back and what was she supposed to do now?

Skathi didn’t figure it out that night. She collapsed into a fitful sleep, still clutching the blanket they shared just days ago.

: : :

Skathi attended the STARS sponsored funeral for her. Rhea was fine with cremation, according to her documents, so there was no coffin. She clutched a small jar of her ashes as if it were some kind of replacement for the life that Rhea had.

She gave a brief speech with words that sounded as hallow as she felt. Rhea’s colleagues gave her their condolences and left her to grieve.

It didn’t rain that day. In fact, the skies were clear, the sun sinking its warmth into her skin. Rhea’s words were really the only grey in her vision. People wore black in mourning, the sky was bright blue, but grey was absent. Like her.

Skathi wanted to laugh. God, she was already getting sentimental. Water splashed down her cheeks and onto her fingertips, onto the grass.

The world was cruel to give people soulmates only for a slim chance at happiness. It wasn’t fair. They promised they’d do everything together, and yet now she had to live for the rest of her life alone.

What kind of God would allow such things?

**Author's Note:**

> They keep saying time will heal  
> But the pain just gets more real  
> The sun comes up each day  
> Finds me waiting, fading, hating, praying  
> If I can keep on holding on  
> Maybe I can keep my heart from knowing that you're gone
> 
> \- I Will Not Say Goodbye by Danny Gokey


End file.
